News
Borno flood: We’ve received only N4.4bn of N13.1bn donation — Official
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Borno State Government on Monday said that only N4.4 billion of the N13.1 billion donations for victims of the Maiduguri flood has been received.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, disclosed this in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
He spoke while giving an update at the Borno State Government Flood Disaster Situation Room.
Tar said the available funds had been handed over to the newly-inaugurated Disaster Relief Disbursement Committee, made up of people of integrity for disbursement to the victims.
He said it is an all encompassing committee with members from federal and state agencies, technocrats, traditional and religious leaders as well as representatives from the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, among others.
He said: “This morning, the governor launched cash support for the first batch of households for the commencement of rebuilding their homes.”
According to Tar, victims that received food items and cash support to last them for two weeks should be expecting another package of support.
The Commissioner said that many victims, particularly those that received cash and food in camps, had returned home, contrary to the claims that they were forced to leave the camps.
He said that nobody was forced to leave the camp or compelled to stay, if they felt like going home, given that the flood water had receded in most areas of the city.
He said that the government intended to merge some camps.
“About 40 percent of the camps are schools, so we want to merge some by moving those occupying the schools to other depopulated camps to enable the students to resume school,” he said.
Tar also spoke about many victims that refused to go to camp, but resorted to sleeping in the streets, filling stations and people’s business premises.
He said that the government had started registering and giving them support and would convince them to move to the camps.
He said that those on Baga Road would be encouraged to go to Gubio camp, while those in Custom area and Bama Road would be encouraged to go to Muna and Dalori camps respectively.
Tar called for patience and support for government and other partners engaged in various interventions to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that organisations, groups and individuals have continued to donate funds to the State Government and one million victims of the September 10 flood that destroyed thousands of buildings in Maiduguri
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The abducted Chairman of Abia state Independent Electoral Commission ( ABSIEC) at the last concluded Abia Local Government Election and Abia State University Lecturer, Prof. George Chima, popularjy called RAGA JONES abducted on Thursday morning, January 30, 2025 by gunmen numbering four in his residence at Okigwe, Imo state has been released, reports
Recall that, the ABSIEC Chairman was playing host to some lecturers from Abia State University, Uturu in his Okigwe residence when about four armed men suspected to be kidnappers stormed the house, harassed his visitors and took away him away.
The gunmen snatched an on passing passst vehicle carrying wood after attempts to use his car being washed by his driver failed.
Now, it has been confirmed that Prof. Chima has been released by his abductors without any ransom paid and they returned his phones, our source told www.newsmirrorng.com
News Mirror has put a call to Prof. Chima George and he confirmed his return and thanked God, despite his sad experience at the hands of his abductors.
As of February 1, 2025, the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar to the Nigerian naira in the parallel (black) market is as follows:
Buying Rate: ₦1,605 per USD
Selling Rate: ₦1,615 per USD
These rates may differ slightly depending on location and specific forex dealers. Reports from January 31, 2025, indicated a buying price of ₦1,610 and a selling price of ₦1,620 in some markets.
CBN Exchange Rate
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has a different rate for official transactions:
Highest Rate: ₦1,517 per USD
Lowest Rate: ₦1,490 per USD
Important Notes
The CBN does not recognize the black market and advises individuals to use official banking channels for foreign exchange transactions.
Exchange rates fluctuate frequently, so it is advisable to check with reliable sources before making any transactions.
Colombia has offered to pay for the “dignified” deportation of its citizens from the United States, the foreign ministry said Friday, a week after a public spat between presidents Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump over the removal of migrants.
The two leaders had issued threats and counter threats of major trade tariffs of up to 50 percent, and Washington’s embassy in Bogota stopped issuing visas from Monday to Friday in retaliation for Petro’s refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their country.
Petro had accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs.
Colombia’s foreign ministry said Friday it had proposed to Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special envoy for Latin America, that Bogota would “immediately assume the transfer of all citizens deported by the United States,” covering transportation costs for its nationals, according to a statement.
Petro has said his government would not allow expelled migrants to travel in handcuffs.
The Trump administration had announced this week a series of sanctions against Colombia, before backtracking, with the White House saying Bogota had accepted its conditions and reversed course.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Colombian military and civilian aircraft repatriated the first groups of migrants to Bogota.
According to Petro, hundreds of Colombians, including several children, were returned to their country in “dignified” conditions. None of them were “confirmed criminals,” he added.
Colombia is expecting the return of around 27,000 migrants whose deportation orders have been signed in the last six months by the Trump administration or that of his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, a Colombian presidential source told AFP.
Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, vowing to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latin American nations.
The United States is Colombia’s largest trade partner and it has provided millions of dollars in aid over decades to fight drug trafficking and terrorism.
AFP
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